Nope on the Slope (ONC 2024)

Chapter 5: The Party (Kelsi's POV)

The first week of spring semester has come to a close. Levi and I have avoided each other since I asked him to kiss me. I blurted it out and I know I shouldn't have. Scarlett has no idea I made out with Justin in his house while Levi sat in his car waiting for me. She also doesn't know that I asked Levi to kiss me when he took me cross-country skiing. I am in no position to pin the Baron boys against each other.

The dreaded sleepover with Scarlett is about to take place. It's not that I don't like our girly sleepovers and gossip sessions. This is different. I've crossed a line with our other best friend, Levi Baron. This is something I might not recover from for some time.

Scarlett plops herself down on my bed. My parents are gone for the weekend and Scarlett is here for two nights. Normally I would be excited to feel like college women together, but my sheepish ways are poking through, and hiding them is pointless.

"What's up with you? I've been wanting to ask you all week. You seem different." Scarlett scans me and likely discovers my shaking knees.

There's no use denying it. Scarlett knows me down to my bones and a confession is just part of the package deal of being friends with her.

"That's because...I made out with Justin in his house. He invited me over in front of Levi and Levi drove me over. Levi volunteered to stay in the car while I visited Justin. Then Justin started kissing me. We agreed to wait until the ski trip to continue. But then it got bad..."

Scarlett's hands raise as she gasps and squeaks like a church mouse.

"Are you serious? Wow, you didn't wait long. Was it everything you ever wanted?"

I can't be honest with her. It wasn't what I expected because my thoughts went to Levi. It's not good to think of someone else, especially if it's your best friend when you're kissing someone. At least I'm pretty sure that's the case. I've made a pact with myself to not tell Scarlett about Levi and our almost kiss. The Justin news is bad enough.

"Not really. It was bad because Levi told me later all the ways Justin is a bad boy with women."

"Well, that's no secret. We all know that. Anything else I need to know about?"

She interrogates me. It runs in her family. Her father's a cop and her mother used to be a paralegal. Asking intrusive questions is second nature to the whole Simpson family tribe.

"No, other than I suck at cross-country skiing. Levi took me the other night and I wiped out. I hope he'll take me again."

Is it odd that him paying for me has made me wonder if he intended on that being a date? He's never paid for me before, not ever. If the signs were there then I definitely missed them.

"I'm sure he will. Just ask him. We should have Levi come over here. We haven't hung out just the three of us since Thanksgiving break."

She doesn't clear it with me first, she just texts him without seeing if I want him here. I most certainly am not ready to see Levi Baron.

"If you call Levi, I'll invite Justin." Scarlett nods in agreement.

"Perfect. This could be really interesting. Why don't we have a small get-together? I'll text Orion Strauss as well. I've been dying to fuck him ever since I've laid eyes on him. It's lucky that he's best friends with Levi too. I'll ask his sister to come too. Marion might be a junior but she's pretty cool."

An hour goes by and everyone arrives at my door. They flock together like sheep. Justin hands me a beer and I set it down on the table. The five of us crowd into my living room. Two men and three women. Levi hasn't shown up yet. This is bound to turn into a rager if Justin has his phone.